Cattle oiler



H. DAVIS CATTLE OILER Sept. 25, 1962 Filed Sept. 26, 1960 [IIII INVENTOR.

HA NS W. DAVIS Unite Staes assista CATTLE (HLER Hans Davis, Springview, Nebr. Filed Sept. 26, 1950, Ser. No. 58,319 4 Claims. (Cl. 119-157) This invention relates to cattle oilers of the type comprising a normally horizontally disposed tubular container having holes in its upper surface for the escape of oil into absorbent wrapping material disposed around the tube, and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide greater etliciency in such oilers.

Heretofore such oilers have been easily clogged. The oil escape holes have been necessarily small to prevent escape of excessive amounts of oil, whereby clogging is prevented.

It is an object to provide a concept of movable anticlogging members disposed in the oil escape openings to prevent clogging whereby upon movement of the tube or pressing on the absorbent covering material by the cattle will cause the anti-clogging members to move in the oil escape holes.

A further object is to provide the improvement of means for' holding absorbent covering material on the container of such an oiler whereby the covering material can easily be removed and replaced, and whereby the covering material need not be of a special and particular shape such that it can only be obtained from a factory. It is, therefore, an object to provide an oiler having means for holding the covering on such that gunny sacks or many other kinds of absorbent material of various shapes can be utilized without the necessity and cost of shopping for factory made covering.

A particular object is to provide means for maintaining the readily available gunny sacks on the tube, such means comprising a rod and rod-mounted eyelets spaced along the rod in positions approximately the width of a conventional gunny sack, whereby the eyelets do not interfere with the placement of gunny sacks on the tube and also whereby the eyelets are disposed one at the edge of each gunny sack of a row of gunny sacks, whereby the rod is lirmly maintained against each gunny sack to prevent unravelling.

Various types of livestock and hog oilers have been provided for use on farms and the like. However, conventional oilers for this use require rubbing, which is sometimes objectionable, and in most cases continuous servicing is necessary. Rubbing against fixed bars often causes injury to the livestock, and owing to the strength of steers and other livestock the pushing action often pushes the oiler over, or to such positions that the dispensing apparatus is inoperative.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a cattle oiler wherein the backs of the stock contact freely hanging curtains, and freely hanging perforated tubes from which the curtains depend, and wherein the curtains and tubes are supported between posts whereby the backs of stock walking between the posts contact the curtains or gunny-sacks spreading oil over the backs of the stock and actuating the perforated tubes for depositing additional oil upon the curtains.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an oiler for cattle and other livestock in which the oiler is actuated by the stock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a livestock oiler in which waste of oil dropping from a feed tube to gunny-sacks depending from the tubes is reduced to a minimum.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a livestock oiler suspended between end frames in which the elevation of the oil applying elements is adjustable.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oiler for livestock that may readily be moved from one position to another.

A still further object is to provide a cattle oiler which is of a simple and economical construction.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view of the improved livestock oiler with gunny-sack curtains depending from an oil supply or feed tube shown in broken lines.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the oiler, also with the curtains shown in broken lines.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section through the oil supply or feed tube taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE l, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale showing a portion of the oil supply tube, portions of the curtains, and a portion of a rod positioned over the curtains.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary eld of utility of the invention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout, and in which the numeral l0 refers to the invention in its entirety, numeral 12 designating an oil retaining tube or reservoir having spaced openings or holes 14 in the upper surface, and in which movable clean-out members or cotter pins 16 are positioned, numeral 18 a rod extended through eyes or burrs on one side of the tube for retaining oil absorbent covering material such as absorbent members, absorbent curtains or gunny-sacks 20 in position on the tube, numerals 22 and 24 cables extended from eccentrically positioned brackets on ends of the tube, numeral 26 designating a filling plug spaced from one end of the tube, and numeral 28 designating a horizontal bar connecting upper ends of A-frames at the ends of the oiler and from which the cables 22 and 24 attached to the ends of the tube 12 extend.

The lower ends of the cables 22 and 24 are provided with shackles 30 having swivel joints 32 therein, and the swivels are secured in eyes 34 of upwardly offset brackets 36. With the brackets offset upwardly on the ends of the tube 12 the weight of the tube is below the centers of the brackets whereby after being pushed over by the livestock the tube returns to an upright position with the holes 14 extended upwardly. The cotter pins in the holes prevent the oil or other liquid splashing out in the turning action, and the small amount of liquid passing the cotter pins is absorbed by the curtains.

The upper ends of the cables 22 and 24 are provided with loops or eyes 38 through which U-shaped hangers 40 and 42 extend, and the elevation of the tube 12 is adjusted by the cables or chains and the connections of the cables or chains to the hangers and brackets.

The A-frames 44 and 46 are provided With inclined bars 4S and V50 and cross bars 52, and the upper ends of the bars 48 and 50 are secured, such as by welding, to ends of the horizontal bar 28.

The filling plug 26 is threaded in a boss 54 on the upper surface of the tube 12, and the ends of the rod 18 are provided with cotter pins 56 and 58 to prevent accidental separation of the rod from the eyes 60 on the side of the tube.

Operation With the parts assembled as illustrated and described the supporting end frames are set up on the ground with the lower ends inserted in the ground as indicated by the broken lines 62. In positioning the end frames the upper horizontal bar is made level and the tube 12 adjusted to a level position. The curtains, which are preferably made of gunny-sacks, are wrapped around the tube 12, as shown in FIGURE 3, and the rod 18, which is removed to facilitate wrapping the curtains around the tube, is replaced, being inserted through the eyes 60. The cotter pins are then inserted in the ends of the rod 18.

With the tube 12 suspended, as illustrated and described, from the end frames, stock, passing through the frame of the oiler, push the tube 12 upwardly turning the tube partially over, and thereby causing oil or other medicament in the tube working through the openings 14 and dropping upon the gunny-sacks or curtains 20.

By this means medicament is applied to the backs of livestock without waste and without injury to the animals.

The gunny-sacks or burlap bags may be removed and replaced as desired.

It will be seen that during operation, the clean-out members or cotter pins 16 are caused to move back and forth in the holes 14 by movement of the tube by livestock and engaging of the absorbent outer cover 20.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a cattle oiler constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

Having noW described the invention that which is claimed to be new and desired to be procured by Letters Patent,

1. In combination with a cattle oiler of the type comprising a horizontally disposed tube having closed ends and having spaced holes in its upper surface, absorbent wrapping disposed around said tube and across said openings, a supporting frame, and exible means for suspending the tube from the supporting frame, whereby the tube can be tipped over when bumped by cattle suiciently for oil to spill out said holes to be absorbed by said Wrapping, and said flexible means being attached to said tube in positions such that said tube remains normally upright to prevent excess oil flow, the provision of movable element members in said holes and movable in said holes whereby their movement loosens clogging of said holes, said movable members each having an outer end projecting beyond said tube and of a size larger than its hole to prevent said movable members from falling into said tube, and means for preventing said movable members from falling out wardly of said tube.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said means for preventing said movable member from falling outwardly of said tube comprises: movable members having interior ends disposed in said tube each of which are larger than its hole to maintain the respective movable member in its hole.

3. In combination with a cattle oiler of the type comprising a horizontally disposed tube having closed ends and having spaced holes in its upper surface, absorbent wrapping disposed around said tube and across said openings, a supporting frame, and exible means for suspending the tube from the supporting frame, whereby the tube can be tipped over when bumped by cattle su'iciently for oil to spill out said holes to be absorbed by said wrapping, and said exible means being attached to said tube in positions such that said tube remains normally upright to prevent excess oil flow, elements having spaced eyes attached to and projecting out from said tube, a rod positioned through said eyes, said eyes being disposed suiciently close to said tube that said rod effectively prevents said absorbent wrapping from becoming unwrapped, and removable means for maintaining said rod in said eye elements.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said wrapping is disposed in a plurality of spaced apart sections, said eye elements being disposed substantially one at the edge of each section, whereby said rod is maintained firmly against the covering material of each section for holding it in place, and whereby the said sections can be made from conventional gunny sacks to attain the advantage of the ready availability and economy of gunny sacks.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

